John Waterhouse, Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus, 1884, Oldham Gallery, Oldham, UK.
When I think of depictions of witches, I think of a medium that predates popular media like television. I think of witches depicted in art. The painting above, painted by one of my favorite artists, John Waterhouse, depicts Circe(from The Odyssey) offering a chalice to Odysseus that she has enchanted. What Waterhouse has painted so well is the power she possesses innately in herself, so while Circe is not a queen, she has the power of one through her ability to do magic. The flowers around her being purple serve to advance that point.
In the mirror behind Circe, we can see Odysseus warily approaching. This perspective shows how Circe is attempting to bring Odysseus under her spell.
In 1884, this painting would have been a different depiction of witches than most depicted by the media. At that point, society had shifted to a more stereotypical depiction stemming from the Salem Witch Trials. However, Waterhouse depicting Circe as more of an Ancient Greek queen serves to convey the long history of witchcraft in the media.
